Lifting jack



Aug. 26, 1941. lH'. NlLsoNA LIFTING JACK Filed Nov. 18, 1940 w/ENTo/e lvl/20L D /V/ 50N j @L @Mp ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1941 i LIFTING JACK Harold Nilson, Wayzata, `Minn., assignor to George H. Ische, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application November 18, 1940, Serial No. 366,106

9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lifting jacks, generally, andmore particularly to such jacks of the type used in connection with automobiles.

Modern automobiles, as now commonly constructed, are usually designed with a low center of gravity to render the vehicle more stable on the road, when traveling at high speed. To thus lower the center of gravity, automobile bodies are now suspended relatively closer to the ground level than in the past, whereby when a tire becomes deflated, it is often difficult to place a jack under an axle or other fixed part of the automobile frame for the purpose of lifting the fiat tire off the ground. The operation of changing tires has also been aggravated as a result of the relatively larger fenders, now used on modern automobiles, which project considerably beyond the vehicle wheels.

'The novel jack herein disclosed-has been designed particularly for use in connection with modern automobiles and is so constructed that it may readily and conveniently be manipulated under `the vehicle to position the lifting member thereof in engagement with the load, by the simple manipulation of the operating handle.

A further object is to provide a lifting jack shown provided with a base having an upright post mounted thereon, the lower end of which is ln driving engagement with a pinion provided at the inner end of a shaft mounted in a suitable bearing in the base, said shaft havingV one end projecting from the base, whereby a suitable operating handle may conveniently be connected thereto for driving the shaft, and means being provided on the base and handle adapted for interlocking engagement when the handle is in one position, thereby to lock the handle to the base, whereby .the jack'body may readily beinserted under a Vehicle by manipulation of the operating handle, when tilted over on one side and then restoring it to its upright position, after which the operating handle may readily be operated to move the lifting member into engagement with the load. f Y

VA further object is ytoprovide in combination Vwith a lifting jack, an operating handle having means at one end adapted to be connected to the usual operating mechanism ofthe jack, whereby thehandle is adapted for limited axial movement with respect yto the jack body, and co-acting means being carried by the handle and thejack body adapted Yto be rendered operative to prevent i(Cl. v254-133) jack body, when the handle is axially moved in one direction, whereby the jack may be conveniently positioned under an automobile or other load by manipulation of the operating handle.V

`Other objects of the invention reside in the simple and inexpensive construction of the means for operatively connecting the handle to the jack; in the means provided for p-reventing relativer-@tation of the handle with respect to the jack. -b-ody, when the handle is thrust forwardly, whereby the jack ,may readily be positioned under a load or be removed therefrom by manipulation of the jack handle; and, in the simple means for providing a drivingconnection between the handle and the operating shaft of the jack, whereby the handle is permitted limited axial movement on the shaft to render the handle locking means operative or inoperative.

Other objects ofthe invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed Vto carry out the various objects of 4the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In lthe drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a jack showing vthe invention embodied therein;

Figure'2 is an enlarged detail sectional View showing the connection between the handle and the drive shaft of the jack;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, with some of the parts omitted, showing the means for dis- `engaging the handle from the drive shaftv of the jack; Y

Figure 4 is a view showing the handle thrust forwardly into locking engagement with the jack body, whereby the handle is locked against rotation;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5L`5 of Figure 4, showing the means for preventing axial movement ofthe drive shaft;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View on the line 6 6 of Figure` 3, showing lthe friction ring provided on the drive shaft of the jack; and

Figure 7 is aV View on a smaller scale showing how the ujack maybe tilted on its side under a load Aby manipulation of the handle.

-In the selected embodiment ofthe invention relative-aaien of ine-hande wiihrespeciio the 5,5 tartiner, there illustrated in Figures 1an-d 2, an automobile jack comprising a suitable base 2 having a ground engaging shoe 3, and provided With an upright tubular post 4 within vwhich is mounted a screw threaded post 5. A lifting member 6 is slidable on the post 4 and has a driving connection with the threaded post 5.

The lower end of the post 5 is shown provided with a bevel gear 'I meshing with a pinion 8 provided at one end of a short drive shaft 9, mounted in a suitable bearing II in the base 2 of the jack. The tubular post 4 is stationary and has a longitudinally extending slot on one side, not shown, whereby a driving connection between the lifting member 6 and the threaded post 5 may be obtained. The lower end of the post 5 is supported in a suitable bearing provided in the base of the jack, and the load thereof may be carried by a suitable anti-friction thrust bearing or ball I2, shown seated in a suitable support I3 provided in the base of the jack.

The drive shaft 9 is retained in the bearing II by a suitable cross pin I4, best shown in Figure 5. By reference to this figure, it will be noted that the shaft 9 has an annular groove I5 adapted to receive the pin I4, whereby a relatively large bearing surface is provided between the pin and the walls of the annular groove I5 in the shaft, as will readily be understood by reference to Figures 2 and 5. The pin may be retained in position by slightly heading over the ends thereof.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the means provided for driving the shaft 9. As best shown in Figures l, 2, 3, and 4, a suitable handle, generally designated by the numeral I5, is shown provided at one end with a crank I'I. A socket member I8 is secured to the opposite end of the handle. The handle is preferably made in two sections, hinged together as shown at i9, whereby it may be folded upon itself to facilitate storage, as is customary in devices of this general character.

As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the wall of the handle socket member I8 has a slot 2I therein adapted to receive a spring-actuated pin or bolt 22, supported in a socket 23 provided in the shaft 9. A spring 24 constantly urges the bolt 22. in a direction to enter the slot 2 I, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the socket member is locked to the shaft so that when the handle I8 is rotated, a similar movement is imparted to the shaft 9. By reference to Figures 2 and 4, it will also be noted that the slot 2l and pin 22 cooperate to prevent the handle from accidentally becoming detached from the shaft 9 under normal operating conditions. These parts also provide limited axial movement of the handle I6 with respect to the shaft 9. A spring element 25 is secured to the socket member I8 and is adapted to engage the terminal of the bolt 22, when the handle is pulled outwardly, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the bolt 22 may be depressed by simply depressing the spring element 25, as shown in Figure 3, thereby releasing the socket member from the shaft 9.

Another feature of the invention resides in the means provided for axially adjusting the handle I6 with respect to the jack body, for the purpose of locking the handle to the jack body to facilitate positioning the jack under a load. As shown in the drawing, a suitable split expansion ring 28 is mounted inan annular groove 21 in the shaft 9. paratively wide, asA shown in Figures 2 and 4, and

The expansion ring 25 is made comconstantly exerts an outward pressure against the wall of the bore of the socket member I8, whereby the handle socket member I8 is retained in adjusted position on the shaft 9, as the result of its frictional engagement with the expansion ring 28. To lock the handle against rotation, a spring-actuated bolt 38 is shown supported in a suitable socket 28 provided in a wall of the bearing Il. A spring 29 constantly urges the bolt 39 into the position shown in Figure 2, against a suitable stop pin 3| which is adapted to engage an annular shoulder provided at one end of the bolt 30. An annular flange 32 is formed on the socket member I8 and has an aperture 33 adapted to receive the bolt 38, when the handle is thrust forwardly, as shown in Figure 4. When the bolt 30 is thus received in the socket 33 of the flange 32, it will readily be noted that the handle is locked against relative rotation, whereby the entire jack may be tilted on its side and slid under the load, and then raised to a vertical position by the simple manipulation of the handle I6 only, and without the necessity of reaching or crawling under the vehicle to position the jack. This is a very important feature, in view of the modern construction of automobiles which makes it practically impossible to position an ordinary jack thereunder.

The frictional engagement of the socket member I8 with the expansion ring 26 is such as to readily hold the handle in either of its adjusted positions. By the provision of the flange 32, the handle may be thrust forwardly from the position shown in Figure 2, to that shown in Figure 4, regardless of the position of the aperture 33 with respect to the spring bolt 38. If the aperture is not alined with the bolt 38, when the handle` is initially thrust forwardly, the flange will depress the bolt 39, and as the socket member I8 is rotated, it will automatically enter the aperture 33 when the latter is brought into registration therewith. It will thus be noted that the handle may be moved axially with respect to the jack at any time, regardless of the relative positions of the bolt 30 and aperture 33, whereby the operation of the jack is greatly facilitated.

When the jack has been properly positioned beneath the load, a slight outward thrust on the handle, to overcome the friction between the expansion ring and the bore of the socket member I8, will release the spring bolt from the aperture 33, whereupon the handle may readily be rotated in either direction to impart vertical movement to the lifting member 8 through the medium of the gear 'I and threaded post 5.

It will also be noted that the bore of the socket member I8 is relatively larger than the diameter of the shaft 9, whereby the handle may be oscillated with respect to the jack without the use of a universal joint, as is now common in the construction of conventional jack handles of the general type herein shown.

The novel connection between the operating handle andthe jack is of extreme importance in that when the parts are positioned as shown in Figure 4, the handle, in effect, becomes an integral part of the jack proper, whereby the jack may readily be manipulated under the vehicle, as will be understood by reference to Figure '7. Vihen the jack has been operated to releaseY it from the load, the handle may again be thrust forwardly to lock it against rotation with respect to the jack, whereby the jack may be tilted on its side, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure '7, to permit its convenient removal from beneath the vehicle.

In the drawing, I have shown the handle applied to a jack comprising a screw threaded post, but it is to be understood it may be used in connection with other. types of jacks, when applicable, without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon, and a mechanism for operating the lifting member, of an operating handle for actuating said mechanism, and means for locking the handle against movement relative to the jack body, when the handle is axially moved in one direction, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

2. The combination with a jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon and a mechanism for operating the lifting member, of an operating handle mounted for rotary movement to actuate said mechanism, said handle being mounted for limited axial movement with respect to the jack body, and means for locking the handle against rotation relative to the jack body, when the handle is axially moved in one direction, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

3. The combination with a. jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon and a mechanism for operating the lifting member, of a rotary operating handle for actuating said mechanism, means permitting limited axial movement of the handle with respect to the jack body, and co-acting means on the handle and jack body made operable by axial movement of the handle in one direction, to lock the handle against rotation relative to the jack body, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

4. The combination with a jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon and a mechanism for operating the lifting member, of an operating handle for the jack comprising means for detachably connecting it to said mechanism and whereby rotation of the handle will actuate the lifting member, and means whereby the handle may be locked against rotation relative to the jack body by a slight forward thrust of the handle with respectv to the jack body, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

5. The combination with a lifting jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon, and a mechanism for vertically translating the lifting member, of an operating handle having means at one end for detachably connecting it to said operating mechanism, whereby when the handle is rotated, movement is imparted to the lifting member, and means made operable by relative axial movement of the handle with respect to the jack body, to lock the handle to the base, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

6, The combination with a lifting jack comprising a base having a lifting member mounted thereon and provided withan operating mechanism including an operating shaft, one end of which projects from the base, of an operating handle having means at one end for connecting it to said shaft, means providing a driving connection between the handle and shaft and pemitting relative axial movement of the handle thereon, and means made operable, when the handle is moved in one direction on the shaft, to prevent relative rotation of the handle with respect to the base, whereby the jack may be tilted on its side by manipulation of the operating handle, in the operation of positioning the lifting member under a load.

'7. In an apparatus of the class described, a base', a lifting member mounted thereon and provided with an operating mechanism including a shaft having one end projecting from the base, a handle having a socket member at one end adapted to receive said shaft, a spring-actuated bolt for locking the handle against rotation on the shaft but permitting relative axial movement of the handle on said shaft, and means made operable to lock the handle against rotation with respect to the jack body, when the handle is axially moved in one direction, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle, said means being rendered inoperative to permit relative rotation of the handle, upon reverse axial movement of the handle on said shaft.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a base, a lifting member mounted thereon and provided with an operating mechanism including a shaft having one end projecting from the base, a handle having a socket member at one end adapted to receive said shaft, a spring-actuated bolt for locking the handle against rotation on the shaft, means permitting relative axial movement of the handle on the shaft, and a springactuated plunger engageable with means on the handle socket member for locking the handle against rotation, when the handle is Vaxially moved in one direction, whereby the jack may be positioned under a load by manipulation of the operating handle.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a base havingaliftingmembermounted thereon and provided with an operating mechanism including an operating shaft, one end of which projects from the base, an operating handle having a socket member at one end adapted to receive said shaft, a spring-actuated bolt mounted in the shaft and receivable in a slot in the socket member, thereby to provide a driving connection between the handle and shaft, said bolt permitting relative axial movementvof the socket member on said 

